Faris ME, et al. - In patients with overweight or obesity, researchers investigated the influence of Ramadan diurnal fasting (RDF) on visceral adiposity, circulating adipokines and glucoregulatory markers. A week before and at the end of the lunar month of Ramadan, body weight, visceral tissue area, glucoregulatory factors, serum adipokine concentrations, dietary intake, and physical activity were evaluated in 61 overweight and obese subjects. Findings revealed that RDF has numerous positive results, including a reduction in visceral fat tissue area, body weight, systolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, triglyceride, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) and an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines (apelin and IL-10). RDF reduces anti-inflammatory cytokine adiponectin and insulin-like growth factor-1, however, and increases pro-inflammatory cytokines (visfatin and leptin). Improvements in body composition and visceral adiposity have not been linked to changes in glucose homeostasis modulators or leptin and adiponectin concentrations.